Spider
Most cultural traditions perpetuate the image of the spider as a treacherous creature that cannot be trusted. It sits on its web, waiting to entrap prey, and may even kill its own spouse, as in the case of the BLACK WIDOW. By and large, this is the symbolism on which most tattoo artwork of spiders is based. Of course, there are exceptions to this rule, such as in West Africa, where there are many amazing tales of the spider as a hero and champion of mankind, a cunning trickster who gives mankind corn and the hoe. According to the Greeks, the young girl Arachne was so gifted at the art of weaving that she dared to challenge the goddess Athena to a contest. While Athena wove majestic portraits of the gods and their punishments of mortals, Arachne wove the loves of the male gods for mortal women. In response Athena flew into a rage and struck Arachne with her shuttle. Arachne tried to hang herself but Athena saved her and changed her into a spider, ever dangling at the end of her thread. Arachne’s was the fate to which humans were doomed if they dared to challenge a god.Dragon tattoo,